The dynamics of racism and antiracism in a Scottish charity

Abstract

This research explored how staff and families using a Scottish trauma-informed charity, striving to enact antiracism, understand and approach race and antiracism in services for families of colour. Thematic analysis was applied to data from ten interviews with six staff participants and four families. Six interlinking themes emerged. Staff identified the charity as a ‘white organisation’ and sought ‘a common frame of reference’ with families, while families expressed overwhelming ‘gratitude’ to staff. ‘Identities were owned and disowned’, with participants using ‘colour-blind’ racial ideologies. Staff ‘located responsibility’ for bridging cultural gaps in families of colour. White staff, while well-intentioned, did not express a fundamental understanding of racism, impeding their ability to enact antiracism. This reflected wider Scottish policy and lay beliefs of being a post-racist society, and challenged organisational attempts to fully embody trauma-informed practice. Challenges and recommendations for researching racism in the third sector are discussed.